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Seven Simple Steps to the Perfect Stir-Fry

Most week nights, I don't have an hour or more to prepare dinner. So I need something that is fast, healthy, and tasty. Stir-fry easily fits the bill, but making a delicious stir-fry can sometimes seem easier said than done....

Most week nights, I don't have an hour or more to prepare dinner. So I need something that is fast, healthy, and tasty. Stir-fry easily fits the bill, but making a delicious stir-fry can sometimes seem easier said than done. Here a 7 steps to preparing this healthy, speedy dish perfectly every time!

Start with the right equipment. To do stir-fry right, you really need to have a wok or other deep and wide nonstick pan with a lid. This will allow you to add plenty of ingredients and stir them around without most of it ending up on your stovetop.

Next, chop all your ingredients into to the same size pieces. If you have big broccoli florets, but tiny slices of carrots, your carrots will cook much fast than your broccoli. This will lead to either overcooking one or undercooking the other. It may take a little more time on the front end, but if all pieces of food are uniform, they will cook at basically the same rate, and you will finish cooking faster.

Speaking of preparing your ingredients, make sure you have them all ready to throw in your wok before you ever turn the heat on. I mentioned that this is a speedy supper, and if you don't have everything ready to throw in before you start, it can turn into chaos very quickly.

Order is important. You'll want to heat the wok before adding your oil, and since you will be using high temperatures, you want to make sure to use an oil that can withstand the heat, such as peanut or canola oil.

After the oil heats up, you'll want to add your aromatics (these are things that add flavor like garlic, onion, ginger, etc.). Stir them until they release their aromas, which won't take long.

Then add any meats or proteins you have, followed by your uniformly chopped vegetables, and cook, stirring constantly. Lastly, you can add a sauce if desired and stir into your other ingredients.

Then cover the wok and let everything steam a few minutes to finish off the cooking process. Now you can enjoy a delicious dinner that comes together in just minutes!